Australia’s staff has been tight-lipped all week in regards to the standing of its star striker Sam Kerr, who was dominated out of the primary two video games of the World Cup final week with what staff officers known as a calf injury.
Australian officers mentioned on the time that Kerr’s damage can be reassessed after the second sport of the group stage on Thursday, and in doing so held out hope she would return to the sector.
But one among Kerr’s teammates, the 21-year-old midfielder Kyra Cooney-Cross, brought on a stir on Monday when she informed reporters at Australia’s camp that Kerr had a torn calf muscle — a much more severe damage that might nearly definitely rule Kerr out of the event.
“It’s unfortunate that Sam tore her calf before the game,” Cooney-Cross informed reporters. “But I think, as a team, we’re just focusing on Nigeria. Sam’s doing her own thing to get back as quick as possible and that’s also important.”
Team officers instantly attempt to row again Cooney-Cross’s assertion. A staff press officer mentioned in a textual content message that Cooney-Cross had misspoken, utilizing “inaccurate wording as a young player” and “colloquial language rather than medical language.” In a separate message, a senior federation official mentioned the suggestion that Kerr had torn a muscle was “not accurate,” and that the unique analysis — a gentle calf pressure — was nonetheless in impact.
Australia beat Ireland in its opener, 1-0, however the lack of Kerr is a doubtlessly devastating blow to its hopes of creating a deep run within the event on residence soil.
Germany kicks off its World Cup marketing campaign on Monday with the identical goal as all the time: to win all of it. Germany, a two-time champion that has by no means failed to achieve at the very least the quarterfinals, drew a good group this yr, with Morocco, Colombia and South Korea. So regardless that it has a great likelihood to achieve the ultimate eight once more, it has set its sights a lot greater.
Another prime competitor taking the sector is Brazil, a staff higher recognized for one participant, Marta, than the general power of its roster. However, with Pia Sundhage, the previous United States coach, on the helm, Brazil could possibly be a more durable out than ordinary.
Germany vs. Morocco
Germany gained the World Cup in 2003 and 2007, and likewise has eight European Championships and an Olympic gold medal from Rio 2016 in its trophy case. But it misplaced to England within the ultimate of final yr’s European Championship, and its type has been erratic in latest months, with losses to Brazil and Zambia and a slender win towards Vietnam in a pleasant in June.
Morocco, against this, is likely one of the eight first-time qualifiers within the discipline. Its qualification has won the team new fans back home. But reaching the event is one factor. Knocking off Germany in it’s fairly one other.
Italy vs. Argentina
Italy reached the quarterfinals of the final World Cup, a stable end result after a 20-year absence from the event. But after lacking the knockout stage of the European Championship final yr, the staff started a generational transition, with Coach Milena Bertolini dropping quite a few veterans to make manner for brand spanking new expertise.
Giulia Dragoni, a 16-year-old midfielder whom some have nicknamed Little Messi, solely made her debut earlier this month in a scoreless draw towards Morocco. She will begin towards Argentina, and she or he could possibly be the face of Italy’s staff within the close to future.
“I have no expectations,” Dragoni mentioned this week. “I can’t because I am still so young and I came here to learn and to have some experience.”
Argentina has by no means superior previous the group stage, failing to win a World Cup match and scoring solely 5 objectives in three tournaments. But the Argentines gained 4 of their 5 friendlies and are in prime type heading into their opener.
Brazil vs. Panama
All eyes are on Marta. The Brazilian legend is showing in her sixth World Cup at age 37, and nonetheless hoping to seize an ever-elusive title. Marta is taken into account by many to be the best participant within the historical past of the sport, however she has typically carried the load for her nationwide staff alone.
The closest the Brazilians have come to successful the event was almost a technology in the past, after they misplaced to Germany within the 2007 ultimate. This yr’s staff is just not thought of as sturdy as some previous iterations, however in Sundhage it has a revered coach with a decorated history of her own.
Brazil’s first opponent is Panama, one other World Cup debutante and the ultimate nation to earn a spot on this event. Panama has its personal Marta: Marta Cox, the 26-year-old midfielder who scored off a bicycle kick in Panama’s World Cup qualifying match towards Paraguay.
Colombia vs. South Korea
Colombia is coming off a powerful efficiency within the Copa América Championship, the place it beat Argentina within the semifinals and fell to Brazil within the ultimate, 1-0. Those outcomes counsel a readiness to contend on the world stage. But that competitiveness might have gone too far in a latest pleasant towards Ireland: That match was called off after 20 minutes for what the Irish labeled “overly physical” play from the Colombians. Colombia rejected that characterization and defended its model; it mentioned the Irish merely “preferred not to continue playing.”
Colombia will face South Korea, the runner-up within the 2022 Asian Cup. The South Koreans have made it to the knockout stage as soon as in three earlier World Cup appearances, in 2015. Four years in the past, the Koreans misplaced all three of their video games.
One of eight first-time qualifiers within the Women’s World Cup discipline, Morocco might not win a sport taking part in in a gaggle that features a former champion (Germany), an Asian common (South Korea) and the second-best staff in South America (Colombia).
But the truth that Morocco is taking part in on this event, which started Thursday in Australia and New Zealand, and that its girls’s staff exists in any respect, is serving as an inspiration and a measurable supply of delight at residence and overseas.
Morocco is the primary Women’s World Cup qualifier from North Africa, and the primary from a majority Arab nation. Still, its squad was little recognized even to most Moroccans earlier than it hosted the occasion that served because the continent’s World Cup qualifying event on residence soil final July. As it posted win after win, nonetheless, the nation’s stadiums started to fill with fans, lots of them seeing the staff play for the primary time.
In a rustic the place soccer is revered however the place curiosity within the girls’s sport is a brand new phenomenon, that success raised the staff’s profile. “They showed us that they can fill stadiums and make Moroccans happy,” the staff’s French coach, Reynald Pedros, mentioned. “They did it on the African stage. Now we are hoping to do the same on the international one.”
Content Source: www.nytimes.com
